The present disclosure relates generally to marine propulsion systems and, more specifically, to a blade retention system for use with a marine propeller assembly.
At least some known marine propulsion systems include a rotating propeller assembly driven by a power generation unit. The propeller assembly generally includes a central hub and a plurality of propeller blades extending from the central hub. In at least some known marine vessels, such as those capable of transcontinental voyages, the propeller assembly is relatively large having a diameter of several meters. In such assemblies, the weight of the propeller assembly is generally directly proportional to an amount of stress induced on a drive system of the marine propulsion system.
Recently, at least some known manufacturers have attempted to reduce the amount of stress induced on the drive system by reducing the weight of the propeller assembly, such as by introducing lightweight composite materials into the propeller assembly. For example, the propeller blades may be fabricated from composite material to reduce the weight of the propeller assembly. In at least some known propeller assemblies, the central hub and propeller blades are formed separately from each other and subsequently joined to form an integral structure. However, methods for joining propeller blades fabricated from traditional materials are typically unable to be utilized when joining propeller blades fabricated from composite material.